Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leptospirosis exposure in stray dogs in Yucatan Mexico study
By Jimenez-Coello, Matilde et al.·Published in Acta tropica·2008·Departamento de Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Serological survey of canine leptospirosis in the tropics of Yucatan Mexico using two different tests.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study of 400 stray dogs in Yucatan, Mexico, found that 35% tested positive for leptospirosis, a serious bacterial infection that can affect dogs and humans. The most common strains identified were canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae, with some dogs showing very high antibody levels. Two tests were used to detect the infection, and the ELISA test proved to be highly effective, accurately identifying nearly all positive cases. This suggests that leptospirosis is a significant concern in this area, and pet owners should be aware of the risks and consider testing if their dog shows symptoms like fever, vomiting, or lethargy.
People also search for: dog leptospirosis symptoms · stray dog infection risks · leptospirosis test for dogs · how to treat leptospirosis in dogs
Abstract
Blood samples were taken from 400 stray dogs. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test were implemented using Leptospira interrogans serogroups canicola, hardjo, pyrogenes, panama, pomona, tarassovi, icterohaemorrhagiae, gryppotyphosa, wolffi and brastislava. For the ELISA test, sonicated antigen from above mentioned cultures was used. A conjugate AP-labeled anti-dog IgG antibody was used, the optimal cut-off point of ELISA was set at 1.34. Concordance between ELISA and MAT titers was measured by kappa (kappa). Overall prevalence was 35%. The most prevalent serogroups were canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae. Positive samples showed titers between 1:100 and 1:25,600, with higher titers found in serogroups canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae. Positive serum samples fell within a range of 1.36-1.65. A correlation index of 96% was found between MAT and ELISA. The sensitivity of ELISA was 98.6% and specificity 95.8%. Seroprevalence of canine leptospirosis and titers were high as a direct consequence of environmental conditions in the studied area. The ELISA test showed a good sensitivity, resulting in a good alternative test for the detection of leptospiral antibodies in dog serum.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18299115/